KidsKare's Early Intervention Program is funded and regulated
by the New York State Department of Health; in New York City,
by the New York City Department of Mental Health and Mental
Hygiene. In NYC, call 3-1-1 to refer a child to Early Intervention
or the Totline telephone number at: (800) 577-2229. All authorized
services, including service coordination, evaluations and therapy,
may be provided at no cost to parents, regardless of insurance
coverage; in Orange County, by the Orange County Department
of Health; in Westchester County, by the Westchester County
Department of Health; in Suffolk County, by the Suffolk County
Department of Health; in Nassau County, by the Nassau County
Department of Health. In Nassau County, any services provided
are based on the child’s needs as determined by the County
Early Intervention Program; an early intervention official will
determine the location and provider of any needed services.
The Early Intervention Program is a statewide program administered
by the New York State Department of Health, and in Nassau County,
by the Nassau County Department of Health. In Nassau County,
all children under age three years who may need Early Intervention
Services must be referred to the Early Intervention Program
directly at: 516-571-3749 to refer a child to an Early Intervention
Official. For elsewhere in NY State, you may call the Growing
Up Healthy 24-Hour Hotline 1-800-522-5006. All information and
forms provided on this website are proprietary, and reside under
strict copyright protection, and may not be copied or used in
any manner without the expressed written permission of KidsKare,
LLC. The EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM and early intervention services
available through the Early Intervention Program are for children
less than three years of age who have or are suspected of having
a developmental delay and/or disability. The EARLY INTERVENTION
PROGRAM is a public program funded by New York State and county
governments. All children must be referred to the municipality
to access EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM services, including the
municipal agency’s telephone number. KidsKare is approved
as a provider of EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM services and under
contract with the aforementioned municipalities to deliver EARLY
INTERVENTION PROGRAM services. All services provided under the
EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM are provided at no out-of-pocket
cost to parents, but that health insurance may be accessed for
reimbursement for early intervention services provided to eligible
children and their families. Eligibility for the EARLY INTERVENTION
PROGRAM can be determined only by State-approved evaluators
under contract with the municipality. If a child is found eligible
for the EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM, all needed early intervention
services are identified in collaboration with the parent and
must be authorized by the municipality. The municipality will
arrange for service providers, considering the individual needs
of the child and family, to deliver services authorized by the
municipality. When early intervention services are delivered
in child care settings or community locations that require a
fee, the parent is responsible for paying any associated costs
with such access to child care or community locations. Eligibility
for the EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM can be determined only through
a multidisciplinary evaluation conducted by a State-approved
EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM evaluator under contract with the
municipality, and that such evaluation must be obtained through
a referral to the appropriate municipal agency responsible for
local administration of the NYS EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM;
if the parent objects to referral of the child to such municipal
agency, the provider is obligated to maintain written documentation
of the parent’s objection to the referral and actions
taken to follow-up with the parent, provide the parent with
the name and telephone number of the early intervention official,
and within two months, follow- up with the parent and if appropriate,
refer the child unless the parent objects, the municipality
is responsible for arranging for delivery of services listed
in an IFSP with an appropriate provider, in accordance with
the individualized needs of the child and family. Selection
of an evaluator to conduct the multidisciplinary evaluation
of the potentially eligible child after the child has been referred
to the municipality. KidsKare does not in any way engage in
the following: request by the child’s parent(s) to the
municipality for the provider to deliver EARLY INTERVENTION
PROGRAM services to the child and family; a request by the family’s
service coordinator, evaluator, or other EARLY INTERVENTION
PROGRAM provider to the municipality for the provider to deliver
EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM services to the child and family;
payment, performance evaluations, or other awards or benefits
for employees or subcontractors of State-approved EARLY INTERVENTION
PROGRAM providers (i.e., payments or bonuses by an agency for
its employees or subcontractors that are based on the number
of referrals and/or services received).
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This
is because the child’s nervous system (brain and
outgoing nerves) and muscles are still developing, and
are very responsive to growth and development stimulation.
This “window of opportunity” is called “plasticity.”
Early Intervention taps into the potential plasticity
of a child to grow beyond the limitations of problems,
such as low birth weight, or other disadvantages noted
at birth or soon after. By intervening early in
the baby’s life, problems may be addressed with
a “nip it in the bud” approach, allowing many
children to “catch up” into age appropriate
function. 
Developmental Delay
Each child is evaluated by a team of developmental specialists,
who determine that child’s unique developmental
growth level and current level of performance based on
validated screening.